Straw-cutter



(No Model.) 2 w. M. FITZWATER.

STRAW CUTTER.

110,268,212. Patented Nov. 28, 1882.

WITNESSES INVENTOR 944; ATTORNEYS y UNIT D STATES PATENT Brion,

STRAW- CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,212, dated November28, 1882. Application filed June 10, 1882. (No modeLl provement inStraw-Gutters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and op eration of thesame, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a partof thisspecification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in perspective of my straw-cutter.Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection of same, and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail.

This invention has relation to hay and straw cutters; and it consistsinthe construction and novel arrangement of devices hereinafter set forth,and particularly pointed out in the claim appended.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a designates the box, which isof ordinary form, being wider in rear than in front. To the front endsof the sides and bottom is secured by screws an H-shaped plate, 2, ofwhich the cross-bar i forms the lower cutting-plate and the verticalbars j form the rear walls of slotguides e, in which the horizontalparallel-moving knife 0 works. The front walls of these slot-guides areformed by external bars, 11 I), which are riveted to the plate 2, piecesm being interposed to keep the bars separated sufficiently to form waysfor the knife. A broad and deep guard-plate, m, is secured to the end ofthe farther side wall of the box, being placed under the vertical bar I)of the H-shaped plate 2 on this side and held in position thereby. Thisguard is firmly braced at its outer and upper corner by a brace-bar, h,which extends from the side Wall of the box obliquely outward to saidcorner, as shown in the drawings. The guard-plate is sufficiently broadand deep to form a guide for the front hanger,f, which is pivoted to theouter and upper corner of the guard-plate, and to the end of thebrace-bar Ii, back of the same. This 'hanger is pivoted to the inside ofthe knife 0 at its forward end, and the guard-plate m extends downwardbelow the knife in its lowest position. A stop, as, within theguide-slot serves to limit the upward motion of the knife, its downwardmovement being limited by the perpendicular edge of tlieguide-bar. \Vhenthe knife is in its highest position its handle is horizontal and inline with the knife, and when the latter is in the lowest position thehandle extends obliquely downward. The knife 0 extends horizontallyacross the face of the box, and its lower or cutting edge is slightlyconcave. -lt is suspended by the hanger f from the outer and uppercorner of the guard-plate, as above described, and by the hanger d,which is pivoted to the heel ofthe knife, from the upper ends of thevertical bars, forming the slot-guide on this side of the box. The knifetherefore is parallelmoving in its action.

It will readily be seen that the H-shaped and stop for the downwardmovement of the knife. It also holds the pivot-pin for thehandle-hanger, and the stop which limits the upward motion of the knife.It also serves to aid in securing the guard-plate in position and toprotect the cutting-edge of the knife from the edge of the guard-plate;and it provides a complete and perfect brace for the front of the box,holding the front ends of the bottom and side walls securely in theirrelative position.

In order to conveniently operate this knife when standing at the side ofthe box, the handle 0 is arranged to have circular vibratory motion byrigidly attaching itto the oblique extension Zof the lower end ofthehanger 07, said extension being bent downward and laterally extended atan obtuse angle with the hanger. When the knife is depressed and thehanger in vertical position the handle will form an angle of aboutforty-five degrees to the horizontal portion of lever d, which ispivoted to the heel of the knife. The handle therefore, when operated,will have a circular vibratory movement from the upper pivot of thehanger, and will respond conveniently to thenatural position andmovements of the arm and wrist in exerting the necessary pressurethereon to force the knife downward in making the cut.

It will readily be seen that by this peculiar construction the operatoris enabled to exert the full strength of the arm and add the weightplate serves asa knife-guide, cutting-plate,

of the upper portion of his body directly upon I the knife withoutbending his wrist or relaxing the muscles thereof.

1 am aware that the knives in straw cutting machines have heretoforebeen suspended by pivoted hangers, and that handles rigidly attached toknives have been curved downward. I therefore do not claim such devices.

It is obvious that by my construction, in which the hanger at thefarther side of the machine is pivoted at aconsiderable distance fromthe box, I am enabled to use guide-slots for the knife, and at the sametime to utilize nearly the entire edge of the knife in cutting, thehangers being pivoted to the extremities of the knife; and that themovement of the handle is from the horizontal position downward to anoblique position in making the cut,

this movement being in accord with the natuural motions of the wrist,arm, and body in working the knife, so that no labor is wasted in theoperation.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The straw-cutter described, having box a, guard-plate m, frame 2, andknife 0, suspended by hangers d andf, the hanger d terminating in anobtuse angle to form the handle, while its upper portion regulates thedownward movement of the knife by engagement with the side wall of framez, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. FITZWATER.

WVitnesses:

JAS. Q. LAOKEY, A. J. GARSED.

